A bond of fate never disappears once tied;

The sun was almost down the horizon when Kuroko had decided to leave the lighthouse. They didn't talk about lots of things but it was not awkward of any kind, for they both knew that the silence between the two of them was familiar enough to feel at ease. Kise didn't walk him to the door and Kuroko was not at all bothered by it. Before stepping outside, his eyes fell on the layers of drawings pasted on the wall across the room—a window was left open, and as if to help Kuroko's curiosities to be answered, a soft wind blew and touched the said sketches, it was strong enough to flip the first layers and had reveal the paper being hidden below it.

It was only for a swift moment but Kuroko was already sure that he knew what was drawn on that piece of paper, of WHO was drawn on it rather. He had not taken the hobby of painting or anything that is associated with art—but even with human naked eyes, it was purely obvious that Kise was good with his hands; otherwise Kuroko wouldn't be able to recognize the portrait he saw.

It was Akashi, drawn with what seemed like charcoal and light touches of watercolour. The colors were applied very lightly, carefully, but because the other drawings spread across were all in monochrome, it stood out once seen, like a rose among thorns and leaves. His cousin's face looked momentarily real that Kuroko wanted to reach out and touch it with his bare hands.

If Kuroko was surprised, he didn't show it, no one was there to see his surprise by the way but that didn't stop him from masking his emotions. Of course he was stunned, too surprised that he wanted to run away. He pushed the door open and stepped outside in a rush. His fingers itched to open the door once again and examine the portrait; he deposited his hands on his pockets instead and started to walk away from the light house. Yet halfway of going back to the mansion, his gaze were met by a pair of round hetero-chromatic eyes.

"A-Akashi?" He softly said, his voice eaten by the sound of the waves hitting the mountain of sheer rocks. His cousin was dressed in clothes much finer than the cloth he had worn before.

"What are you doing here?" They both said in sync which could have been a laughing matter if they were not wearing such serious faces.

Akashi was younger to him by four years—it was his task to look after him but recently, Kuroko noticed that it was the other way around and felt unpleasant. His cousin looked at him as though he had seen him after many years, a constant crumple between his eyebrows were made as he hurriedly walk closer to Kuroko.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked as he stepped from a rock to another, balancing his frail body on the uneven surfaces. "I was worried; they said that you didn't attend any of your classes. And they spoke so ill of you, god, I wanted to rip out their mouths." He said detestably.

Kuroko drew a quick lie from his mind. "I was just taking a walk, I'm feeling stressed lately."

"If you're tired, you should have just taken a rest in your room and besides, why in here? The café's owner said that you even dragged that Taiga with you, so I followed." Akashi tells him, irritated. "Don't you know that it's dangerous? The tide goes up with a very irregular timing, you could have drowned."

"Calm down, Sei." He said, shaking his head lightly. He was about to speak when he noticed that Akashi was looking directly at the light house that was still near enough to be visible towering behind his back.

"Huh…" Akashi muttered, having completely forgotten of his worries about Kuroko's well-being. "Is someone in the lighthouse?" Somehow his voice sounded longing for something, his eyes never-moving from the light house—which by now was well-lit, light escaping from the windows as if someone was truly in there. Not surprising since it was nighttime already. Kise had probably lightened up some candles.

The sheet of paper that has Akashi's face drawn onto immediately flashed through Kuroko's mind. Akashi's reaction when he saw the light house was definitely suspicious, they were looking at the same place but Akashi was seeing something else—shit.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes. He grabbed Akashi's hand and dragged him back to the light house's direction. He never wanted Akashi to get involved with this little secret but it seemed like his cousin was already tangled even before he had known of Aomine and Kise. Of course he had no idea of how and why, that's why he's going to demand Kise for explanations.

"Tetsuya, hey, wait. Where are we going, we should head back."

"You want to go in there too, right?"

"Wha—?"

"The person living in the light house, do you want to meet him or not?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know who Kis—"

"That's enough."

As Kuroko reached the front of the lighthouse's door, Kise's voice echoed in vast space, as if the waves stopped and the wind had stilled bringing complete silence in their surroundings. Kuroko searched for Kise's location, but as soon as he turned his head, his hand lost grasp of Akashi's and stumbled back. In a swift moment, Kise had taken Akashi's hand away from his, but he released Akashi too after making sure that the boy was at least many meters away from Kuroko.

Losing track of how fast it happened, Kuroko frowned; Kise was in front of him suddenly and whispered something on his ear. "Don't you ever tell him my name. This is a serious matter, you can't do that now. Understand, Kurokochi?" His voice was suddenly poisonous; shock and uneasiness-so acute as to be spine-chilling-swamped him all at once. As he spoke, Kise's cold breath touched his ears too and that made him tremble even more—this time, Kise didn't sound anything like a human being.

Not even a bit.

"Why? What's wrong with Akashi?"

"Nothing. Akashi is…" He paused, eyes deep with something that Kuroko could not identify.

Kise withdrew and stepped back, completely aware of the younger boy who's been staring at him from the moment that he made an appearance, Akashi didn't notice but it didn't mean that he didn't feel anything either—he just didn't know that it was Kise.

He never knew.

"Long time no see, boy." He told Akashi with a small, proud but genuine smile. Kise insisted on acting like a completely different person, on which Kuroko hadn't taken a liking—what was his connection with his cousin anyway?

Kise's smile made Akashi clench the hem of his over-sized jacket. He studied the figure in front of him with an expression that was torn in between suspicion, anger and fright—his jaw felt rigid and could not speak.

Because this man before his eyes… he was sure that he had seen him already, only in one of his dreams.

Or so he thought.

"You're the fox spirit." Akashi finally said, his throat dry with unconscious stupor. "Tetsuya, he is a spirit." Although there was a little terror in his voice, there was also a dominant curiosity that was mixed within it which is surprisingly the contradiction of what Kuroko wanted to see and hear from his cousin. Akashi can be violent, but he is also still very young.

"No." Kuroko said firmly. "What are you talking about?" Because if there's someone who resembles a fox spirit in there, that would definitely be Aomine and Aomine alone. He didn't want to think of Okami at the moment.

"He is real." Akashi said, eyes caught with fascination and had quickly learned to stare at Kise despite the unwillingness of the latter. He was an honest child, Kise thought. Perhaps too honest. Kuroko was momentarily shocked by the sudden change in Seijuro's attitude.

"You," He said, "we have met before, didn't we?" He asked Kise, going one step closer, pebbles rolling under his shoe. The sun was almost setting, throwing there shadows on the ground in benevolent manner.

"We did?" Kise asked him, feeling Kuroko's careful stare boring holes on his back. He could already list down the questions that would be asked later. Of course Kuroko noticed the drawing on the wall—he knew that fairly well, yet even he could not understand why he had let Kuroko discover that when it was supposed to be his own little secret. He could have hidden the portrait somewhere else… he could have shut the windows tight so no wind could blew the secrets pasted on that wall. Still, it could be that, without thinking and doing any of these precautions, he really did wanted Kuroko to see it; perhaps he wanted him to be involved after all.

It was no coincidence.

Because Kuroko was the person nearest to the thing that he valued the most.

"Yes, we did." Akashi insisted, surprising Kuroko, because Seijurou never sounded desperate in front of strangers. He's like a wall, a barricade. "Have you forgotten?" Akashi was just sixteen, and to say these to Kise seemed outrageous enough to send the blonde laughing. Akashi arched a brow at Kise's outburst.

"There's nothing funny." Akashi glared.

"Y-you're asking…" Kise laughed again. "You're asking me if I've forgotten but do you even remember what it is that I have, you say, 'forgotten'?

"Yes of course!" Confidence was written all over Akashi's face. And never did Kuroko heard him hold a longer conversation. "A year ago, while we're exploring the cave on the beach with Taiga, I got lost and couldn't seem to find the way out of the cave. Then the tide was rising and it was cold, I was sure that I will die. That's when you helped me. I couldn't see your figure clearly but I know you have tails and they were glowing mad blue. When we reached the shore, it was your face that I last saw. You saved me."

"Seijuro," Kuroko called to his cousin. Apparently, this information was never heard of. "I never heard any of this before." He said after a time, when no one had spoken anymore. And Kise too, these figure with tails that Akashi mentioned seemed highly familiar… but how?

"Well, it is the truth, I knew what I saw. I tried searching but I never found saw you. It's like you didn't even existed so I thought it was all a dream. I thought that maybe it was the waves that swam me to the shore; that I was just lucky to have lived after the incident. I never thought you're actually real until now."

"You seemed to misunderstand something." Kise replied, "I never saved you. But yes, it was me who found you unconscious on the shore and called other people for help. That's all I did. Do I even have tails?" His voice was mocking, taunting. "Your savior's a mermaid, perhaps."

"It was an animal's tail, like a fox… like a cat, not a fish!"

"If you don't believe me then let me at least tell you know that I am not interested on what or who saved you. Is this what I get after helping you a year ago?"

Taken aback by Kise's harsh words, Akashi fell quiet; he could not understand this person. He was sure that it was this guy who saved him. Although it was true that he didn't have tails at the moment, Akashi has been feeling such a strong sense of assurance. This would be Kise's lost, even though he had not realized it yet.

"Is this what this is about?" Akashi sounded angry, "You want something in return?" His voice hardens with disgust. And said, suddenly softly, "I don't even know your name." The younger boy muttered, unconsciously ignoring Kuroko's stares and stepping closer yet again to Kise.

"I don't need a name." Kise said right after Akashi had spoken, as though he did not want the boy to ask for his name in the first place. "Never had one."

Akashi blinked. "Seriously? After all this time, you want to remain 'mysterious'?"

Instead of answering, Kise turned his eyes to Kuroko's direction, as if the answers were written on his face. Kuroko probably got his drift and sighed.

"Just call him Ki—" he paused, "Ryou" He muttered. "Yes, Ryouta."

Kuroko turned to Kise with a bored expression on his eyes. "Right, Ryouta?"

Kise seemed unfazed, and just blinked twice at Kuroko's direction. "Yes." He looked at Akashi directly. "Of course."

Kuroko seemed hesitant but as he gaze at the horizon's setting sun, he sighed and felt the ocean breeze pressed against his face.

"Aren't we going to go back now, Akashi?" He announced, yet after a time, Akashi was still staring at Kise with indifferent eyes. Something was in there that Kuroko could not see, something that didn't belong to Akashi at all.

It looked like Akashi wanted to stay and talk to Kise, his lips slightly parted and brows crumpled into a neat wary. He clenched his fist, fingernails digging onto his young skin.

"Come on, I can take you here again. Ryouta won't leave." Kuroko said, locking his gaze to Kise, as if it the message was for him. "Not this time."

"To tell you the truth I don't care if he leaves or not. But…" Akashi turned his back and started walking. "… I prefer if he stays."

Kise smirked slightly at this, Akashi was just a kid after all— children wouldn't even know that they've already lie to themselves unless it was pointed out. Although Kuroko was aware of this, he said nothing and just followed Akashi back to the estate. In spite of everything, he knew that Kise has a reason to go back too.

"You've come." Aomine said as he set his golden eyes to Kuroko's direction that had just came inside the attic. He was currently sitting by the window, watching stars with mid-interest. "You sure you don't want to sleep instead? You're aware that time flies faster when you're here at the attic."

"I am an expected visitor." Kuroko simply replied, closing the door to the attic and sat on Aomine's bed, the latter looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me about Akashi?"

"Akashi…" Aomine's voice was asking. "Ah. You're psycho… cousin. What about him?"

Kuroko's eyes hardened. "I do not like to play games. You knew him, didn't you?"

"Such serious eyes." Aomine sighed. "I did not hide anything. I simply don't have any intention of mentioning it." It seemed like Aomine had caught on the subject Kuroko was pursuing but remained indifferent about it.

"A year ago, you saved him. It's a big deal."

"For you people, yes."

"Why? Why did you help him?" When you can't even help yourself, Kuroko wanted to say but didn't.

In response, Aomine only shrugged. Kuroko was not pleased.

"Why?" He repeated.

"I don't know what Kise said to you but I only did what I was told. He, of all people, would know that. He asked me to help Akashi. Don't bother asking me why again, because you're going to get nothing."

"I don't understand."

"Can't you just be thankful that Akashi was saved? Because if wasn't for Kise, he'd already dead by now."

Kuroko fell silent. That might be right, but something also felt wrong, a part was missing. He did not want to say nothing but Aomine's word managed to persuade him to remain mute. Perhaps for now, it was enough.

"It's okay if you don't understand. Sometimes, choices are constantly being made, but humans hardly notice."

Kuroko thought he heard Kise's voice and his guess really had won when the taller boy appeared—his head suddenly poked out under Aomine's bed. If Kuroko was surprised, he only showed it with a quick jump.

"Can you at least come in normally, Kise?" Aomine's voice was irritated yet it seemed like he was already used to this kind of antics. He hung his head hopelessly.

Soon enough, Kise crawled out from under the bed and dusted himself. There was a bright smile on his face, carrying no remnant of the cocky attitude he acted earlier when Akashi was present; his cold demeanor was instantly replaced by a cheerful aura that Kuroko had known when they were first introduced with each other.

"Good evening, Aominechi!" He told them lively. "Good evening, Kurokochi!"

"You sound terribly happy. And stop smiling, that face of yours looks ugly enough." Aomine sneered, obviously losing his patience over Kise's loud voice.

"Aominechi, so mean!"

Kuroko only stared at Kise with searching eyes. Kise had always had this mysterious air around him but as to why he always looked like he didn't give a damn about the world, Kuroko have no idea. The fact that he was originally one of Okami's victim and that he has this secret that has something to do with Akashi just made Kuroko more puzzled than he already was. It was alright to suspect, wasn't it? Because Kuroko just wanted to protect someone too. It's only a matter of what reason they both have—that's where they differ.

It seemed like Kise had gotten used to Aomine's unfriendliness too so he didn't really pay him the slightest attention, perhaps he did but it was only to acknowledge Aomine's presence. He turned to Kuroko with a guarded smile instead.

"What?" Kuroko asked, voice unconsciously sharp.

"No matter how I look at you, I can't see any resemblance to Akashi."

"We don't need a resemblance to be called cousins."

"True." Kise relaxed his shoulders. "True enough." As if Kuroko had said something to pique Kise's interest.

"So Kurokochi, you want answers?" He continued.

"I don't need answers. I just want the truth. You have some explaining to do." Kuroko paused as his eyes found Kise's. "How did Akashi end up getting involve? I am not stupid you know, are you the reason?"

Aomine remained silent at the window sill, watching the exchange with clouded eyes. This matter is between Kuroko and Kise, and probably Akashi too even though he's not here at the moment. He'd keep his own thoughts aside for now, that's what he had decided at least.

"Rather than saying that I am the reason alone, I think it'd be more appropriate to call me the creator of the reason. Being just the 'reason' wouldn't justify my means."

Kuroko was confused.

"Weren't those just the same thing? The reason and the creator of the reason, in the end you were still the cause."

"Not quite." Kise answered. "When he got trapped on the cave, I asked Aomine to appear. I didn't even tell him to help Akashi. And I wasn't even thinking about him in the first place; that cave is near the lighthouse, if he is to die in there—people will start to notice, they'd go and investigate the cave. There's a possibility that they will pay attention to the lighthouse too, and that is my home, I can't let them do as they like. I was protecting myself, not him." He said.

"Humans have been always that engrossed with mysteries and tales. I simply made the reason why your cousin's involved, and that reason would be Aomine; usually Aomine cannot be seen by a normal human, but if he choose to be visible, he could do it, only for short period of time though. By seeing Aomine, Akashi bought it upon to himself. He was given choices: to believe and not to believe. He chose to believe in what he saw and that was how he'd gotten involved. He was saved because he reached out to Aomine; on the other hand, Aomine only wanted to protect the cave so he saved him."

Kuroko listened intently.

"What we did might seem good to the humans, but we only did it to protect the cave and my home. It just happens that Akashi benefited from our objective. I believe your cousin misinterpreted my action as a good will. He is wrong. It was for my own sake. Good and evil are concepts that only humans invented. Those terms don't apply to us. "

Kuroko tried very hard to believe him. "Please quit lying to me."

"No one is lying." Kise told him with finality in his voice. "In this world, it is impossible to live without hurting others." Kise almost snapped, his eyes suddenly jaded with anguish. "If you can't accept this as early as now, how would you expect yourself to save Aomine?"

"And how did this become about Aomine?" Kuroko replied back, quite sharply to be called calm.

"If you don't trust me then how am I going to help you save him? There is no room for doubt right now."

"Then just tell me everything that you know. No more hiding."

Kise frowned. "This is useless. Do you think you can really save him as long as you know everything? Do you think you can save him alone? Would you be enough?"

Silence ensued.

"I've been so kind already, but it's better for you to understand the reality of the situation as soon as possible. There are some things that can change you permanently if you learn of them. If we tell you everything now, can you promise us that you won't be prejudice once you've heard it? Pretend you didn't hear? Lie for all your life?"

"Tthat is…"

"Nothing's going to happen if you continue to be stubbo—"

Kise's words melted in that very moment without reaching its end.

"That's enough, Kise. You should calm down yourself. Tesu's not used to this yet." Aomine had to cut him off, it was already difficult for him to listen… but for him to see Kuroko's troubled face was more agonizing that what he had imagined. He didn't want him to change.

"I'm sorry." Kuroko then said, his voice was meek but honest. "I just… get so frustrated over myself, because I do not know anything. I am not afraid of finding out the truth so I always thought that I am ready for everything. Had our places been reversed, I think I would've gotten angry too so I am sorry."

Kise shut his eyes then let out a deep sigh. "I guess being young makes you obedient. You know what the real problem is? Your problem is when you get serious, you get confused." He said softly. "I am not mad so don't frown like that." He then smiled instantly at him. "I am just really worried because you almost told Akashi my name."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Everything." With his words that are as hard as his stare, Kise gave Kuroko a trusted look. "You're not allowed to repeat this to anyone because I am not supposed to say it in the first place."

Kuroko nodded slowly.

"It is true that Aomine saved him, but it wasn't full moon during that time. Do you get it, Kuroko?"

Then how did he get out of the attic? Kuroko questioned on his head. He nodded at Kise's inquiry.

"In order to free Aomine for a certain amount of time, there must an equal sacrifice to be offered."

"Offered to who?"

"It's to what, Kuroko." Aomine chorused.

"To the attic. On this place."

Kuroko was momentarily in dazed.

"You see, this place is also alive, even now." Kise sat on the floor, his legs in a butterfly position and he still wears his so-called high school uniform. "It sees everything inside of it, hear our conversations and even decide on who to let in or throw out."

"Wait. I thought Okami was trapped in here by those charms that were set up the Tetsuya family?"

"Yes, that's true too. But do you really think that those charms alone could harness the power of a goddess like Okami? This house is old." He started. "The woods of this attic were made from a monstrous ancient willow tree. It was believed that it was possessed by an earth spirit before." He continued.

"That creature might be dead already when the tree was cut down, but its powers remained passive even after being chopped and constructed thus blessing its powers to the entire attic. Basically, it is still alive.

"We can't communicate with it, but we can make offerings to be able to borrow some of its blessings: one of that is to temporarily free Aomine despite of Okami's curse. You see, this attic wouldn't really allow Okami to leave so the goddess made a fair exchange—she offered Aomine and it agreed." He gave Aomine a swift glance before continuing.

"Back when Akashi was about to drown, I gave the attic my name to be able to momentarily free Aomine. My offer is too small so the permission could only last for a few minutes but that was enough to save your cousin. And that is why I can't tell anyone my name aside from the people who's been at the attic already."

"Oh… so that was why he was so rude to Kagami. He didn't want him to tell his name."

"But why your name, of all things to offer?"

There was a sudden pause in Kise's voice. "Well…that's all I have."

Kise's answer was a restricted one and for some reason, Kuroko found it rather sad.

"Why did you name me "Ryouta" anyway?"

"That?" Kuroko dismissed his incoming frown. "I don't really know. I just did." Supposedly Kuroko had said this with such a grin that he looked like he couldn't have been enjoying himself more.

"Wow, that's really thoughtful. Thanks."

"Uh. So…"

"Hm?"

"What will happen if you tell them your real name?"

"It will be something that I fear the most."

But…, Kuroko thought. Was it always about fear? I don't think so. I think it's more of wanting other people to see that they are actually not comfortable with something, that they need someone to be there for them. He wasn't scared; Kise was probably just really, really, lonely.

But then again, he could be wrong about these assumptions.

"I know I said that you don't have to tell me everything, but maybe you can make me understand by saying things little by little." Kuroko told him. He wanted to understand him.

After a time, it seemed like his words were accepted by Kise. "Well, they will die if I tell them my real name. The attic needs a compensation."

"Oh." So that's why he's not letting Akashi find the truth. Even though Kise said that he didn't really care about his cousin, he didn't want him to die. Perhaps Kise was not the same person that he believed himself to be. He wanted to protect someone important to him. Feeling that way shows Kise's true self.

"Don't you think risking everything on one single person is way too terrifying?" Kuroko, Aomine and Kise wanted to ask each other this question but in the end, none of them muttered a single word.

A/N: I want a cool Kise, and I made that happen! I think he is capable of that despite the glaringly-obvious-uke-tendencies the original story portrays. He gotta have a cool side too, I think. And Akashi, I hope he is not too out of his character because believe me, I just want him to appear as someone young and naive without losing his fiery streak. He IS the youngest one in here. Yes, I completely ignored their chronological ages, please don't get mad ^^;; I also included Taiga, cheers to that idiot, he likes Tetsu enough; I'll save their banter for later chapters since those two are not really the focus of this story *coughaokurocough* I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

Of course, your reviews would mean a lot. Thanks! :)